Former Chokio-Alberta, Minn. school district business manager sentenced to 18 months in prison

Morris Minnesota 607 Pacific Avenue 56267

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Liane Claassen, former business manager for the Chokio-Alberta school district, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $263,000 in restitution in federal court today.

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Claassen, 44, of Chokio, was charged with one count of wire fraud in May 2011 for stealing approximately $300,000 from the district over 10 years. Claassen pled guilty to the charge in July 2011.

Today, Judge John R. Tunheim sentenced Claassen to 18 months in prison on the wire fraud charge and ordered her to pay $263,240.32 in restitution.

In her plea agreement, Claassen admitted that between July of 1999 through August of 2010, she used the school district's computer to pay herself more money than her salary allowed. As the district's business manager, Claassen was responsible for payroll for all district employees and was entrusted to authorize bank transfers.

Claassen also admitted illegally transferring money into her retirement account and covering up her scheme by making misrepresentations to her employers regarding the district's financial condition.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian S. Wilton.